Carton handle



` an.. M, i936.

` J. P. BRUNT CARTON HANDLE I Filed'Jan. '7, 1955 Patented Jan. 14, 1936oniTEo STATES CARTON HANDLE .lohn Paul Brunt, Chicago, Ill., assigner toBrunt & Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationJanuary 7, 1935, Serial No. 639

10 Claims.

This invention pertains to handles for contalners and in the preferredform of the invention the handles are so arrangedthat in a collapsedcontainer the handle lies flatly or snugly upon the exterior surface ofthe collapsed container but when the container is assembled for useenough slack will be found in the handle to permit insertion of the handthereunder.

With certain classes of merchandise there exists a very definite demandfor handles to facilitate carrying of the packages by the customers.When such a handle is required on a collapsible container, which isshipped to the manufacturer of merchandise or a merchant either of whommay nil the package, difficulty has been experienced heretofore inproviding a handle attached by the container manufacturer which will notinterfere with stacking of collapsed containers. Also another importantconsideration is that the handle provided on packages should notinterfere with the placing of the packages on shelves in the store orstacking them one upon another on the shelves. Furthermore, such handlewhen provided should not be sc loose as to invite the danger 0i it beingcaught on other packages or garments accidentally.

A number of variations in the manner of using the invention are possibleas will be perceived by those who are skilled in the art upon anexamination of the following description in which a preferred embodimentof the invention is shown for the purpose of illustrating the nature ofthe invention. It should be understood, however, that the invention isnot limited in its scope to this illustrated embodiment.

In the drawing, wherein the preferred form of the invention is shown:

Fig. `l shows a plan view of a. collapsed container provided with thehandle in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same container assembled and entirelyclosed but with the handle not yet distended,

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the same assembled container showing thehandle distended to facilitate carrying, and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial sectional View of the container in thecondition it is shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawing, the collapsed container will include anend wall I which will become the top wall at the time the package isbeing carried by the handle. A side wall 2 is hinged to the end wall Iat the score line 3 and a (Cl. 2.29-52A) corresponding end wall 4 andside wall 5 will be provided as shown best in Fig. 3. These walls may bemade of any desired material, preferably thin sheet material, and inmost cases will be made of fiber board, either corrugatedor plain.

In the preferred embodiment flaps 6 and I are hinged at the score lines8 and 9 to the end wall I, intended to be iolded inwardly when thecontainer is being assembled for filling with merchandise. Each of theelongated side walls 2 and 5 will be provided with hinged flapssimilarto the flaps il and I2, While the other end wall 4 will haveflaps i3 and I 4. VIt will be apparent that these end and side walls,together with their flaps, when the latter are folded inwardly, willconstitute a closed container of rectangular shape and the meeting lineof opposite flaps may be covered with tape, as is common practice, inorder to iinally seal the container. The exact dimensions of the flapsand the manner of sealing them together does not form a part of thisinvention. Rather the invention is concerned with the positioning of thehandle I5 on the end wall.

As shown in the drawing, this handle is in the nature of a strap,preferably, and may be made of woven cloth, leather, or some othermaterial suitable for this purpose. The end wall I is provided with apair of slots I6 and I'I which preferably are parallel when a flat straphandle is being employed. Should one desire to use a handle of circularcross-section or of some other shape not flat, then slots can be made tocorrespond. In any case, the end portions of the handle will extendthrough the slots I l and I1 and be secured to the inner surfaces of theflaps s and 1.

In the preferred manner of utilizing this invention the length of thestrap between the points at which it is secured tothe hinged flaps willbe such that when the container is flatly collapsed 40 all of the slackin the handle will be taken up. This will make certain that the exposedmiddle portion of the handle lying outside of the co1- lapsed containerwill lie flatly and snugly thereupon so as not to catch upon othercontainers and soas not to interfere with efficient stacking of thecontainers.

Upon reference to Fig. 3 it will be observed that even when the`container' is foldedto .constitute a rectangular structure the handleI5 will still lie flatly and snuglyupon the end or what is now the topWall of the containen 4VHence the package may be placed on a shelf orstacked on other packages Without any danger that the handle will ltents thereof.

seriously interfere with free movement of the packages.

When a customer or clerk desires to utilize the handle it is extremelyeasy to grasp this flat intermediate portion and pull out the slack assuggested in Fig. 5, thus aording ample room for one to insert thefingers of his hand beneath the handle.

It will be observed that when a container is provided with a handle asshown in the drawing, the weight of the load is not carried on the topwall but rather is carried upon the vertically extending iiaps 6 and l,which, in the assembled container, will-be secured by adhesive oradhesive strips to the flaps H, l2 and the two corresponding elongatedflaps hinged to the wall 5.

Preferably the slots l and l'l will be arranged close to the score lines8 and 9, one advantage being that thus the strap where it extends insideof the package will not interfere with the con- Y However, these slotsmay be further removed from the score lines, if desired.

It is, of course, not necessary that the strap be applied to the wallsurface of the container which has the smallest area. Howeverfin theillustrated embodiment the handle is so mounted Ythat the longestdimension of the container hangs vertically therefrom and the flaps 6and 'l to which this handle is secured are locked within the elongatedflaps ll and l2 and the corresponding pair on the other side. Asexplained before, a strip of paper or cloth with adhesive thereon may beremployed to cover the seam I8 where two opposing flaps meet, or theseopposing flaps may merely be glued to the underlying shorter flaps.However, it should be understood that the various hinged flaps on thecontainer need not be in every case arranged inthe same relationship asis shown inthe drawing. The shape, size and manner of using such flapsis a matter which willl vary with the dierent shapes and sizes andpurposes of the containers.

Having shown and described the invention, I claim:

1. A container having a top wall and two sidev walls hinged theretoconstructed so that all three `may be extended flatly in the same plane,said top wall being provided with slots, and a handle having endportions extending inwardly through said slots and secured to said sidewalls adjacent their vhinged connection with the top wall, the lengthVwith a pair of slots, the side wall elements of Ysaid container beinghinged to said Wall member be extended flatly in the same plane.

4. A containerihaving a wall member provided l with a pair of slots, theside wall elements of said container being hinged to rsaid wall memberat opposite sides thereof, and av strap handle extending through saidslots and secured to said elements near their hinged connection withsaid member, the length of said handle being just sufficient to permitsaid elements and wall member to be extended flatly in the same planeand thus take up substantially all the slack in said handle.

5. A container comprising a strap handle, a top wall having a pair ofslots, and a pair of opposite side walls hinged to said top walls, theend 10 portions of said handle extending inwardly through said slots andbeing secured to the inner surfaces of said opposite side walls.

6. A container having a top wall member provided with slots, side wallshinged to said member, and a flexible strap handle extending inwardlythrough said slots and secured to said side walls a substantial distancefrom said hinged connection whereby extension of the member and wall inthe same plane will take up at least some of the slack lying between thenearest adjoining slot and said point of securement.

7. A collapsible -container comprising a wall member provided with slotslocated near opposite edges thereof, a pair of wall members hinged tosaid rst wall member at opposite sides thereof, said hinged wall membersbeing intended when the container is collapsed to lie flatly in the sameplane with the first wall member, and a flexible handle having its endportions extending inwardly through said slots with its middle portionoutside of the first wall member and said end portions secured to saidpair of wall members in such manner that when the container is flatlycollapsed said handle extends in a straight line and lies flatly withoutslack.

8. A collapsible container comprising a wall member provided with slots,a pair of wall members hinged to said rst wall member at opposite sidesthereof, said hinged wall members being intended when the container iscollapsed to lie flatly in the same plane with the rst wall member, anda flexible handle having its end portions extending inwardly throughsaid slots with its middle portion outside of the first wall member andsaid end portions secured to said pair of wall members in such mannerthat when the container is flatly collapsed said handle extends in astraight line and lies flatly without slack.

9. A collapsible container having three wall members lying flatly in thesame plane in the collapsed container, the two outside members beinghinged to opposite sides of the intermediate member and occupying threedifferent planes in vthe container whenl arranged for use, saidintermediate wall member having a pair of slots, and a flexible handleextending through said slots secured at its ends to said outside hingedmembers arranged to be drawn taut by the outside, members when thecontainer is collapsed, and

Vproviding slack when said container is assembled for use.

the inner surfaces of said hinged members.

J OI-IN PAUL BRUNT.

